Tasers get kudos for making our police safer | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

Nationwide, police are seeing a reduction in the number of assaults on officers, something the Police Association says is because of the introduction of tasers.

The recently released New Zealand Police Annual report for 2009/2010 showed the number of assaults on police began falling for the first time in four years.

In the previous year, there were 2500 assaults against officers but that dropped to just above 2400.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said that while numbers were anecdotal, Hawke's Bay had still seen a number of serious assaults against officers this year.

The association would look at what had changed in the past year of policing, though evidence pointed to the implementation of tasers, Mr O'Connor said.

"Police now have another tool and don't have to get in too close.

"The introduction of the taser has been the big one, not only for keeping police safer but keeping the public safer. It's much safer than trying to manhandle people. That's the most dangerous time for police."

This year in Hawke's Bay, assaults against police had decreased, despite several well-publicised attacks.

In October, two police officers were assaulted when they tried to subdue a man they believed became violent after failing to take his medication.

In September, two officers were attacked in Flaxmere by three occupants of a car they pulled over, and, the previous month, a female Wairoa constable was assaulted and dragged along the ground.

In July, a Clive senior constable was hit on the head with his radio and stomped on. In all those cases tasers were not used.

While no regional statistics are recorded, 25 people had been charged under the Crimes Act with assault on police in Hawke's Bay since January, as opposed to 31 for the same period last year.

Eastern Police Communications manager Kris McGehan said, "from January to now, there have been literally hundreds of charges of assaulting police" ranging from a push or a shove to more serious assaults.